Hi,
My 78 year old dad was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer in November (more information written in my profile). They said it is through most of his stomach and also the top of his oesophagus.
He doesn't want to know his prognosis, but from what I have researched, it's not good.
They offered him palliative chemo, which he had his first round off just over 4 weeks ago. He didnt have terrible side effects, a few days of nausea and fatigue.
He was due his second round of chemo Thursday last week, but the day before he experienced bleeding from his bottom and had tarry stools, and had been feeling dizzy that day and the day before, and got admitted to hospital. It was the tumour was bleeding, so they cancelled the chemo and gave him radiation treatment to stop the bleeding.
He was in hospital for 5 days and was just left in his bed for most of that time.
When he came out of hospital he was feeling weaker because his haemoglobin count had reduced due to the bleeding and he jadnt used his legs much over the last 5 days.
Before his diagnosis he already had issues walking as he has arthritis in his knees.
But the hospital phoned him on Tuesday just gone (2 days after he was discharged) to say they had booked him in for chemo next week. I was so happy that they thought he was well enough to start treatment again. I spoke to his macmillan nurse that day as well and she said the dr had reviewed things and thought he was well enough to carry on. She also said the bleed of the tumour is quite common, and wouldn't effect his prognosis.
But my dad suffers with chronic anxiety and he told me that he doesnt think he is strong enough to do the chemo as he cant walk very far and he gets out of breath.. I phoned the Macmillan nurse again and the chemo department to ask if they could arrange support for him mobility wise for his chemo appointment, and then said that could be arranged.
However, my dad's oncologist phoned him for a review yesterday before commencing chemo. I could only hear what my dad was saying and to start with it sounded like the oncologist thought he was okay to go ahead, but my dad then told him he felt too weak and couldn't walk up stairs. So the dr has cancelled it!
My concern is that my dad's anxiety is making him think he is worse than he is. Yesterday morning he had a blood test booked and he was worried he wouldnt be able to walk into the surgery. But he did...there is long winding ramp and he walked up that. He even said he was worried that when he got into the nurse's room he would be really out of breath, but he said he wasnt.
Also, he hasnt even tried walking up any stairs. I have been making him walk to the front and back of the house, and he did 7 laps of that in one go yesterday, so I really do feel he is strong enough, he is just letting his anxiety get the better of him, which has led him to cancel his treatment.
The oncologist also said to him that the chemo might not even be doing any good for him, as there is only a 30% chance it will work. I never knew the outcome was so low, but I guess that is still almost a one in 3 chance of prolonging his life.
We were waiting from a call back from the oncologist yesterday if he had received his blood results, but we never received it. The oncologist also suggested a blood transfusion to get his strength back up. That would be great, but this is also taking time and delatkng his next treatment, which is already a week and a half late.
I'm so worried and I dont know what to do.
Does anyone have any advice?
And also, does anyone have any success stories of chemo working at this late stage of stomach cancer? I know it cant be cured, but I want the spread to be put on hold for as long as possible.
I love my dad so much. I want him here as long as possible. xx
